1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compact photographic zoom lenses with angular fields of 12.5 to 30.degree., a zoom ratio of 2.5, and an aperture ratio of about F/4.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, long focal length photographic zoom lenses often use four lens group of positive, negative, positive, and positive powers in that order, with the first group from the front forming a focusing section, the second and third groups forming a varifocal section, and the fourth group forming an image forming section. This type of zoom lens is operated by moving the second lens group linearly to change the image magnification and simultaneously moving the third lens group non-linearly to compensate for the image shift.
Such zoom lenses require rapid increases in the physical length and the diameter of the front group of the lens system in order to extend the range and increase the aperture ratio while improving image performance. Thus, the bulk and size of the entire lens system is not easily kept within manageable proportions.
Photographic zoom lenses are generally required to be quickly and easily manageable. In this respect, the compactness of the lens system as a whole constitutes an important factor. However, in many cases, as the entire lens system is made more compact, the optical performance tends to deteriorate. This is also valid with respect to the aforementioned types of zoom lenses.
Attempts have been made to reduce the size of zoom lens of the above-described type by shortening the total movement of the second lens group so that the size of the varifocal section is reduced, and by intensifying the telephoto nature of the fourth lens group. This shortening of the physical length of the entire lens system causes decrease of the front group of the lens system. This makes the zoom lens compact. However, to achieve the shortening of the total movement of the second lens group and therefore the length of the varifocal section, it is necessary to strengthen the refractive power of the first and third lens groups. As the refractive power of each of the lens groups increases, the chromatic aberrations produced in the telephoto position and the variations of field curvature and astigmatism with zooming, become more difficult to correct. Accordingly, there is a limitation on the degree of strenthening of the refractive power. Also, when the fourth lens group is of the telephoto effect-increased type, the Petzval sum decreases, therefore tending to increase the Petzval sum of the entire lens system in the negative sense. This lowers the imaging performance, therefore, both intensifying the telephoto effect and strengthening the refractive power produce disadvantages.
Examples of four group type zoom lens with attempts to improve imaging performance are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,025,167 and 4,189,213.